Overview
The AACAP Jeanne Spurlock Research Fellowship in Substance Abuse and Addiction offers a unique opportunity for minority medical students, or students whose project will focus on minorities, to explore a research career in substance abuse in relation to child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience, and meet leaders in the child and adolescent psychiatry field. The fellowship opportunity provides award recipients:

Up to $4,000 for 12 weeks of summer research under a child and adolescent psychiatrist researcher/mentor.

Coverage for required attendance AACAP’s 63rd Annual Meeting in New York, NY on October 24 - 29, 2016 to present their research in a new research poster session. (Complimentary registration, four-paid nights in the hotel, and travel reimbursement for the Annual Meeting are included in addition to the fellowship stipend.)

Time Commitment
Students are expected to complete 12 consecutive weeks (60 working days at 8 hours per day) of fellowship training during the summer following acceptance into the program. The amount of time an applicant proposes to spend in the fellowship training will be taken into account by the selection committee. If an applicant is unable to complete 12 weeks, a slightly shorter fellowship experience may be proposed in the application. If approved, the stipend will be pro-rated to reflect the reduction in time spent completing the fellowship. NOTE: Fellowships proposals with a duration of less than eight weeks will NOT be considered.

Selection of Mentor
There are three ways to select a fellowship mentor:

A student may work with a child and adolescent psychiatrist with whom they have an established link.

If a student is interested in applying for the fellowship but is not linked with a child and adolescent psychiatrist, he/she should contact his/her local child and adolescent psychiatry department.

If the local child and adolescent psychiatry department does not have a mentor available, the student may contact the AACAP Department of Research, Training, and Education for assistance in connecting with a child and adolescent psychiatrist mentor of compatible clinical interests. Mentor selection must take place prior to the onset of the fellowship.

The student's mentor must:

Have experience in the type of research that is being proposed and it is preferred that their work include children and adolescents participants.

Commit to working extensively with the student throughout the summer for the duration of the fellowship training.

Provide guidance on the format and content of papers and presentations.

Assist in the preparation of the final paper and research poster.

Discuss work and future career plans with the award recipient at the end of the fellowship.

The student will submit an application with a detailed outline of the proposed research proposal and a description of the student’s involvement in the project.

Clinical Training
The research training must provide for significant contact between the student and the mentor and for exposure to state-of-the-art substance abuse and addiction research. The plan should include program planning discussions, instruction in research planning and implementation, regular meetings with the mentor, laboratory director, and the research group, and assigned readings. Research assignments may include responsibility for part of the observation or evaluation, developing specific aspects of the research mechanisms, conducting interviews or tests, use of rating scales, and psychological or cognitive testing of subjects. The training plan also should include discussion of ethical issues in research including protocol development, informed consent, collection and storage of raw data, safeguarding data, bias in analyzing data, plagiarism, protection of patients, ethical treatment of animals, etc. Upon completion of the training program, the mentor should hold a closing interview with the student to discuss the work as well as future career plans. The student is required to submit a brief paper summarizing the research experience, a copy of the research poster, and a program evaluation completed by the student and mentor. The mentor should assist in the preparation of the final paper, providing guidance on the format and content of typical research papers.

AACAP Annual Meeting Participation
Selected fellowship participants are required to attend AACAP’s 63rd Annual Meeting on October 24-29, 2016, New York, NY where they will receive complimentary general meeting registration, tickets to one workshop and one institute, four paid-nights in the hotel and travel reimbursement. Participants are required to:

Attend various educational, mentoring and networking sessions.

Submit a proposal to present their research in a new research poster session. IMPORTANT: Poster presentations are contingent upon the acceptance of the Call for Papers submission after peer review.

Attend the Junior Research Scholar Awards Luncheon award ceremony where fellowship the participant along with their respective mentor will receive recognition.

Stipend Distribution
Fellowship stipends will be distributed in two installments:

Upon receipt of the fellowship, the first installment of $3,000 will be sent to the student's mentor to be disbursed at the onset of the summer fellowship.

Once all program requirements are completed, the last installment will be sent directly to the recipient and will be pro-rated according to the total amount of time spent completing the fellowship.

Fellowships lasting the full 12 weeks will receive the maximum amount.

Fellowship Requirements

Applications are considered from African-American, Native American, Alaskan Native, Mexican American, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander students in accredited U.S. medical schools or students whose research will focus on minorities.

Project focus must involve substance abuse in relation to child and adolescent psychiatry.

Applications are considered from African-American, Native American, Alaskan Native, Mexican American, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander students in accredited U.S. medical schools.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Participants must obtain AACAP membership which is FREE for medical students.

Students must commit to working 8 hours per day for the duration of the fellowship which will last 12 consecutive weeks; fellowships of less than 12 weeks in duration must receive approval by AACAP. NOTE: Fellowships less than eight weeks will NOT be considered.

Participants agree to submit a Call for Papers submission for presenting their research experience in a new research poster session by July 15, 2016.

Participants agree to attend the AACAP Annual Meeting, October 24 - October 29, 2016, in New York, NY.

Participants agree to provide a poster presentation, if accepted, at the AACAP Annual Meeting, October 24-October 29, 2016, in New York, NY.

Participants agree to submit all required reporting documentation directly after the AACAP Annual Meeting, including a final report, a copy of the new research poster (if applicable), a copy of a thank you letter to the funder, and an evaluation of the program completed by the participant and the mentor.

Participants agree to participate in all annual surveys as part of the program's evaluation process.

Application Materials
Applicants must complete the following:

Submit an online application which includes uploading the documents below.

CV

Statement of Interest

Letter of support from proposed mentor

Provide a letter of good standing from the applicant's medical school directly to AACAP via email at training@aacap.org or fax at 202-966-5894.

AACAP reserves the right to waive liabilities.

For more information contact the Department of Research, Training and Education at 202-587-9663, or training@aacap.org.